This sum of money played a vital role in the completion of the project, __________ it, the project would not have been completed so successfully.

A．His brother, as a printer, would take care of him.
B．His father wanted him to give up his longing for sea.
C．His father thought he liked to read books.
D．He liked the printing business better than that of his father's.

A．already
B．always
C．not yet
D．ever